Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.




This one caught my eye. 

Another one for the Foodies Read Challenge.

What did you get this week? Share your loot below.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Teaser Tuesday-Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"My mother took one last cursory glance at her brood then led the way up the goat path; we called the path from our home to the bridge the goat path because when we ran to meet our father after his day's work he said we looked like goats, cabroncitos, or cabritos, We must have made a strange procession, my mother leading the group with her swift, proud walk."
pg 33 Bless Me, Ultima  by Rudolfo Anaya


Monday, September 28, 2015

Banned Books Week-Julie of The Wolves by Jean Craighead George

I added Julie of the Wolves to my library hold list because I was looking to read more banned books as well as books about people of color. Julie of the Wolves fit both, sort of. Sadly the author didn't know much about Eskimos so it wasn't the greatest fit. But Julie of The Wolves was a solid read.

The book is told in three parts. The first part Julie is alone on the tundra trying to make it to a ship that could take her to San Francisco. Julie befriends some wolves who help her survive because she didn't bring enough food for her trip. Book two is about her time with aunt and later her husband and his family. Book three is about Julie still trying to survive on the tundra and get to the boat. 

I had a hard time understanding Julie. Nowhere that she lived was a good place so I understand her need to strike out on her own. Sometimes she acted very much like the thirteen year old child she was and sometimes she acted older and wiser. But I was confused a lot of the time which made Julie harder for me to understand. Especially the whole first part where I didn't really understand why Julie ran away. I liked the parts about her communicating with the animals. Those were my favorite parts. I know there are more books about Julie. I might try to read them as I hear the author put more research into those books. 

This book is banned/challenged because of a graphic marital rape scene. Depending on the age of the child, I might think that scene would be confusing. Or the fact that a thirteen year old is married also might be confusing to some children. I wouldn't recommend Julie of the Wolves because I think there are probably better books written about Eskimos. Can anyone recommend one? Others who shared their thoughts on Julie of The Wolves: Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, Skipping Along, Middle Grade Ninja, and Rhapsody in Books.



Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

I've heard good things about this one. Looking forward to it.

Still trying to read more for the Foodies Read Challenge. So far behind.

What did you get this week? Claire's got the linky this week.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Peanut Butter Muffins #pinitdoit

I was so excited when Trish announced she was bringing back Pit It and Do It. I've been lax on doing my pins so I'm looking forward to getting a bunch of pins done this next month. The first pin is something I pinned recently: Peanut Butter Muffins.

 I'm looking for something more interesting for breakfast than frozen waffles and these fit the bill. Pretty easy to make. I also skipped the additional peanuts on the top and added chocolate chips to the batter.
Very peanut buttery. If you skipped the chocolate chips, a dollop of jam when you eat them would also be delicious. New favorite breakfast!

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

I liked the first in this series, The Duke's Guide To Correct Behavior. Looking forward to more historical romance.

The cover kept catching my eye. I know nothing about this one so I hope it's good.

Finally reading this one.


What did you get this week? Share your loot below!



Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Teaser Tuesday-Julie of Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
"The fog thickened and, like an eraser on a blackboard, wiped out Amaroq and Silver and the tip of Kapu's tail. She cuddled closer to Kapu, wondering if Amaroq would hunt tonight."
pg 52 Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Monday, September 14, 2015

Tampa by Alissa Nutting

After reading Diane's review of Tampa, I put it on hold at the library. Tampa reminded me of Gillian Flynn's books. Full of irredeemable characters but, like a train wreck, you can't stop reading it. It's hard to say you liked a book about a pedophile.  But Tampa held my interest and was well written.

Celeste is very excited about her new teaching position. Not because she wants to shape young minds, but because she's looking forward to finding a 14 year old boy to sleep with. Celeste is married to a cop who comes from a wealthy family. She drives a Corvette and has a comfortable life. Celeste finds Jack, a boy with a father that works late. Celeste and Jack embark on an affair. Nutting leaves nothing to the imagination about their relationship. The romance novels I read aren't as racy as Tampa was. Nutting is very graphic about sex.

I had a hard time liking any of the characters. You see everyone from Celeste's point of view and she's got a very twisted view of reality. I kept reading because I had to know if Celeste was going to get caught or if she was going to get away with molesting these boys. I found the end unsatisfying but realistic. I was also looking for some explanation as to why Celeste liked young boys but didn't find one in Tampa.

Overall, an interesting book. If you do read it, be warned that it's very graphic, both sex and violence. Others who shared their thoughts on Tampa: Backlisted, Bibliophile By The Sea, Pen & Muse, and Booking In Heels.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

First There Was Forever by Juliana Romano

I picked up First There Was Forever because it looked like a fun summer read. While there was a beachiness to it, it was so much angst and drama that it quickly wore on my nerves. There are going to be spoilers in this review so fair warning.

Lima and Hailey have been best friends since forever. Hailey has also been in love with Nate since forever. As they start their sophomore year, Hailey is determined to get Nate to notice her and Nate seems intent on noticing Lima.

Hailey describes Lima as the prettiest girl in school. In fact several other people say the same thing. But Lima thinks she looks like a little girl, that's she awkward. People thinks she's super cool but she just thinks she's super awkward. Lima is a good girl. She doesn't drink or do drugs. She's smart and like science. Hailey goes out a lot and parties. It was difficult for me to see why they were friends. Hailey gets some other friends, ones that like to party like she does. Lima is sad but meets these weird rich kids and hangs out with them. Then Nate comes back in the picture and him and Lima have this friendship that turns into more. Hailey and Lima are friends, then not, then friends again, then not. Pretty much the end.

I didn't like any of the characters in this book. Hailey was a brat who acted out all her issues. Lima was really dense. She never seemed to have a clue. And when she finally hooks up with Nate, she relies on him to make her feel good. I get it, young love, you're stupid, but she seem to reinforce some really bad stereotypes.  Lima definitely wasn't a strong female character. She lies to her best friend and her parents. She seems to go along with everyone else's plans. She had 2 independent thoughts and they were at the end of the book! And Lima's parents! You know how I feel about absent parents in teen books. Well, Lima's parents weren't absent but they were weird. On one hand very relaxed and laid back. They let Lima go out with Hailey all the time even though Hailey drank heavily and smoked weed. But Lima's mom had issues with the rich kids but because they smoked dope and drank. So contradictory! Then Lima's parents cracked down on her for riding in a stranger's car. She's sixteen and she knew the guy. They were very much all over the place so I found them difficult to like, Also Lima kept calling her mom 'Mommy'. So bizarre.

First There Was Forever just felt too drama filled for me. I didn't like the angst or the characters that much. There was very little characterization of Lima's love interest, Nate. He could have been any guy. Anyway, First There Was Forever didn't do it for me. Boo. Others who shared their thoughts on First There Was Forever: Rather Be Reading, YA Love, and Confessions of A Book Addict.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.


I've heard a lot of good things about Americanah so I'm looking forward to reading it.

I do love Sarah Jio's books.

What did you get this week? Claire's got the linky.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Teaser Tuesday-Past Perfect by Leila Sales

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
"Linda squinted at me, then at the grave, then back at me. She seemed maybe not as excited by this coincidence as I was."
page 64 Past Perfect by Leila Sales

Monday, September 7, 2015

August Goal Update

How did I do this month on my goals?  Woo Hoo! Posting this 2 months in a row!

1. Make one meatless meal for dinner a week. It's starting to get cooler so I foresee starting this again.

2. Continue working on my fitness and lose another 30 lbs. Really building my weight lifting abilities. I'm getting close to my goal of using the 16kg kettlebell for my kettlebell work outs. I have my next goal all lined up already. I haven't weighed myself in a while but clothes are still fitting looser. I was able to add yoga back to my workouts and I have been so grateful for that. Yoga really helps me feel better so it's important to me to attempt to continue it.

3. Go back to meal planning. Back on the meal planning weekend.

4. Schedule one do nothing, stay home weekend a month. August was super busy but we had lots of downtime too.

5. Plan one trip with Tai this year. We've planned a little weekend trip at the end of September.

6. Get a will and other necessary estate planning documents. Haven't even thought about this.

7. Clean and declutter one room a month. Slow going this month. Didn't complete a room. I need to schedule a day for the donation truck to come by. That will help get my butt in gear.

8. Do one things for myself a month. Got a pedicure. 

9. Watch one older (pre-2014) movie a month. I need to keep better track of this. I'm sure I did watch at least one older movie this month.

10. Learn to make 5 Japanese dishes.  Nothing this month.

11. Stop complaining and start sharing my gratitude. I've been a lot better about this.

12. Take 2 cooking classes. Looking forward to my meat class in Sept and my tamale class in October.

Friday, September 4, 2015

August Book Tally


Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan
Gregor The Overlander by Suzanne Collins
The Martian  by Andy Weir
Unveiled by Courtney Milan

Not a bad month but certainly didn't read a whole lot. Did read some good books this month. My graphic novel numbers have gone way down since I met my goal for that challenge. I also finished the What's In A Name Challenge!


Stats:
What's In A Name Challenge: this month: 1 (The Beekeeper's Daughter) YTD: 6
Graphic Novel and Manga Challenge: this month: 3 (Transposes, Pregnant Butch, Sex Criminals vol 2) YTD :41
Historical Reading Challenge: this month: 1 ( The Countess Conspiracy and Unveiled) YTD: 13
Foodies Read Challenge this month: 0 (none this month) YTD: 4
Total: 115

Thursday, September 3, 2015

The Martian by Andy Weir

I was really on the fence about reading The Martian. I heard there was a lot of science. I like science but I was worried about it being too academic for me. Weir does a great job of telling you enough but making it easy to understand for the most part. I enjoyed The Martian more than I thought I would.

Mark Watney is a botanist and engineer. He's also funny and stranded on Mars. Mark must find a way to survive until NASA can send its' next manned spaceship in four years. Watching Mark McGyver his way through his stay on Mars was entertaining. I loved reading how he figured stuff out. Mark isn't a character I'll soon forget. He made me laugh and hold my breath in suspense. I hated putting The Martian down. I would tell Mark to stay safe until I came back!

The Martian was a fun read. I don't know if all the science was sound but it was fun anyway. I'm really looking forward to the movie. And I would be interested in reading another book from Weir. Others who shared they thoughts on The Martian: My Thousand Lives, Dear Author, Light Is Beautiful, and Battles and Book Reviews.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Yes, another book by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I'm really looking forward to this one.

This is a friend of mine's favorite book. 

Time to read some King.

What did you get this week? Share your loot below.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Teaser Tuesday-The Duke's Guide To Correct Behavior by Megan Frampton

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


"Not really what he thought most men in his position were accustomed to doing. Especially if they had spent most of the night drinking with their now boon companions."
pg 27 The Duke's Guide To Correct Behavior by Megan Frampton